Style • Play • Every day

Hi. We are a design/style LA based company specializing in mixing eclectic styles on moderate budgets. Also we have a strange amount of fun blogging about all our design and style adventures. Right now I’m happy to say that I’m Target’s home spokesperson, bringing accessible/stylish design to the masses.

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I’ve styled MANY a credenza in my lifetime. Credenzas, like shelves and mantels, can be styled and re-styled every few months (or days…or hours) to reflect the season, match the new vintage painting you scored at the flea market, or just because you want to shake things up. But that big open space can be daunting, too. You have all the right pieces, but how to arrange them so they don’t look too crowded, or too sparse? How do you keep it pretty, but functional? How do you keep it from looking like a weird dresser sitting in your living room?

You probably didn’t even know there were so many things you could even worry about, and now your starting to hyperventilate, thinking about your credenza sitting just one room over from you, and wondering if it DOES look like a weird dresser. First, take a deep breath because I’m here to help (also it probably doesn’t). Then follow my 5 steps to styling your credenza:

Step 1: Start with functionality. A lamp will add both height and light to your credenza. Since this isn’t a reading lamp or desk light, go for something with a fabric shade for even and softly distributed light, rather than a directional task lamp.

2. Stack up those extra coffee table books you’ve always wanted to display. This helps create levels on the surface of the credenza (so everything isn’t sitting directly on the credenza top), can serve as a little pedestal for an accessory, and brings in some personality, depending on what books you choose.

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3. Mix in your accessories: candles, vases, artwork, trays, etc. Vary the size, shapes, textures, and colors while keeping a consistent color palette throughout. The color palette I used for this credenza, and the living room in general, was blues, whites, warm woods and leathers, and small hits of green, gold, and floral pinks. Keeping a consistent color palette will help everything feel pulled together, even if your assortment of items is a little all over the place. Arrange the items in a mountainscape shape – up and down slowly without extreme verticals all of a sudden running into flat horizontals.

4. Add something personal, like a framed photo. This will help your credenza feel like it belongs in your home, and not a showroom. Besides, I bet your family is adorable, so how could you not display that for the whole world to see??

5. Top it off with the EHD teams favorite finishing touch – A plant or flower (also known as the most affordable sculpture around, unless you absolutely need to have peonies out of season, in which case, an actual piece of art might be cheaper). This also balances out the lamp.

Voila! Your perfectly styled credenza is now a excellent representation of both your impeccable taste and refined, yet eclectic and cultured, personality/life. Looking back at a few of the credenzas I’ve styled, they each have their own personalities and differ in their arrangements, but the basics are all there. Remember this set up from “1 Credenza, 4 Ways“?

Just for fun, we put together a little video to help you visualize the intricate credenza styling process:

So, what do you guys need help styling next? Let me know in the comments. We are obsessed with making these little videos so we are happily taking requests … xx

I second this! Our sectional isn’t leather but I do struggle with how to arrange pillows and a throw. For instance, I’d love to do 2 long bolster style pillows but I’m not sure it looks all that great on a sectional with a chaise. Anyway, sectional styling would be a great topic!

Yes on styling leather (sectional or non). Leather presents special challenges (for me) with pillows because they. do. not. stay. put. Any texture of pillow just slides right down and then it looks almost worse than it would totally bare. I’ve practically given up with our ivory tufted leather sofa (which is heavily utilized) and now just have a single large lumbar pillow in the middle, but it ain’t pretty.

Yes! Similar to that ‘space above kitchen cabinets’, I’m always wondering if I should style my high ‘plant shelves’ in my rooms with vaulted ceilings. I usually leave them bare because I usually hate the dusty clutter assortment you tend to see up there (or did in the 80s/90s when houses were being built with these high shelves).

I agree! I too would like to see the space above kitchen cabinets (always looks like a dust collector to me) and an entryway. And similar to the credenza, how about a bedroom dresser (are the rules exactly the same)??

May I add that Emily feature some ideas or styling that can be done to the awkward small space next to the refrigerator without the typical narrow pantry thingy?? Are there any other ideas? 🙂 Thanks in advance.

Well, this is funny. I didn’t even realize I have a credenza until this post, because, as it figures, I actually do have a weird dresser just hanging out in my living room… perhaps that situation should be addressed.

Love this post as I have been having this exact dilemma! My problem is that we have a TV on both the credenza in our living room and in our bedroom. (I hate TVs in the bedroom but my husband insists.) Any tips for styling around the TVs?

I would love to know your thoughts on styling the top of a piano, or whether you even should. I don’t play, but my partner does, every day, so it’s very much a functional piano, not just for show. At the moment, there’s some piano books and sheet music and the top of a blanket (with the rest draping behind for sound-proofing purposes) so….it’s an area that needs some attention!! Thoughts??

Really useful tips! In my case, I have a 40 inches tv on top of the credenza (I’ll eventually mount it on the wall… maybe), and it’s hard for me to balance that HUGE BLACK THING with anything else I place in there. I feel that a big lamp would be too much, maybe the plant trick will do. For now, I have only some coffee table books horizontally, and a small succulent plant. Any other suggestions?

I inherited a credenza from the 50’s which I coveted for years. By the time it made is way to me it is a little worse for wear.

It is an oriental design, with awesome brass handles, I have actually styled it similar to your suggestions, with a large Buddha on one end, stacked books, lamp etc… It is that awesome orangey red color, with gold painted asian accents on the door edges. The paint is a little chippy on the side, a few scratches on top, and the paint looks a little think and oxidized. I am toying with the idea of color matching and repainting it??, but I am not sure I want to lose the authentic vibe to the worn paint- and if I do paint it, what about those gold details?? Not sure if you or anyone else has an opinion on this, but I am all ears.

It sounds gorgeous! Hard to say without seeing it but maybe consider waxing your credenza…. Check out Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (and Wax ) for lots of examples and inspiration and instructions on how to do it.

Love these suggestions! HOWEVER, I have found it particularly difficult to style my credenza that has a TV mounted above it! 🙁 it’s done well, and tidy… But the lamp idea always looks awkward, and I can’t figure out the height element to replace it. Any tips for styling with a TV?

Great ideas. Thanks
I would love to see a post on how to style upper kitchen cabinets. You know the kind that have glass doors. I am lost as to what to do. Do I match everything across cabinets? Or Mix and match items? Plates? Bowls? Pictures? AHHHH!!
My style is a bit more traditional than yours but I know “how to style” something is the same across design styles. Thanks

Symmetrical feels more formal and traditional. Emily’s approach is more Eclectic which allows you to display different style of items without any of them looking weird or out of place. If you decided to do symmetrical lamps, you need to curate what items you want to display so that it goes with the style of your lamp and your credenza as well as the style of your home. 🙂 Hope it helps.

You make everything seem so simple… I have a tall open shelving unit free-standing in my entryway, used as a room divider to separate the entrance from the living room. It seems more tricky to style since the shelves are open on both sides. I’d love to know how you would encounter this task.

As a single guy in my early 30s this blog has been invaluable in building out a decorating persona. Thank you x1000.

One area I’m struggling with is the foyer/entrance room for my condo. I have a family TV stand, basket underneath & mirror leaning on the stand. Need help with rug, accessories and setting the mood/feel.

Hi Emily! I just love this. I’ve spent the last few weeks devouring your website on styling tips. I’ve just bought a house(fingers and toes crossed) and am clueless how to furnish/style it. I just love your aesthetic and I’m convinced you’re my spirit stylist! I know you’ve done something similar before but I would love to see how you approach a room. Any room. How do you furnish it, style it, finish it? I’m asking the million dollar question here but I would love to see a post on how to approach a room from scratch. Am I being really cheeky? Xx

First of all, Emily, your work is beyond. I’m always SO inspired when I read your posts. I’m also a stylist (no where near you but one can dream) so I soak up every bit of advice that you give. It’s always so spot-on.
Okay, love fest over, my request is this– how do you treat a living room credenza differently from a dining room buffet? I live in a split (ugh but whatever) and you can see the living room credenza and the dining room buffet (no hutch) from the front door. I have a tiered plate stand on the buffet along with a tall vase with greenery, a cloche with our wedding cake topper displayed and two decorative finial type items. I have a big mirror over to anchor, but no matter what I do this area never feels right to me. The credenza looks great but this buffet is killing me. It’s extra tricky bc in the living room I also have built in bookshelves that are fully styled out with all the usual suspects (photos, stacks of books, boxes, etc) so it all feels redundant to use the same things again. Any advice??

Hi Emily, you talk all the time about consistent color palettes, I’d love to see some examples based around different furniture colors. Like if your couch is brown use this and this. Or if it’s gray try these 3 colors. Thank you

I have 2 identical servers in my dining room with a window in the middle and they have nothing on them or above them yet! I know it’s a horror…I was thinking of hanging a mirror above one and a painting above the other but my husband thinks I have to do the same thing on the wall above each. Also what do I put in them when I’m not using them for food??

How about a dining table in a dining room? We rarely eat in our formal dining room area, but we have an open floor plan so the table is visible and accessible to the rest of the house. Tables that are “set” with plates and silverware always look a little too staged for my taste. On the other hand, if the table is too empty it ends up becoming a dumping ground for mail and anything else that doesn’t have an immediate destination. I can handle holiday decor for the table, it’s the in between neutral times of year if have difficulty with. Plus it has to look good from all directions. Help would be appreciated!

Thank you so much for sharing this! The breakdown makes so much sense and I actually feel like I can do it on my own now! yay! I’d love to know any tips on choosing and displaying wall art (I always feel like I’m doing something wrong).

I noticed you just added one lamp and not two. I am about to start from scratch styling my console and planned on two lamps. Should I bag that idea? Is that very 1990s and I am unaware? Just wondering your take on the two lamp thing…

I love those little videos! They are supercute, concise and helpful.
My fave video of all time is your pillow styling video. I’ve literally dazzled people with my pillow styling skills.
In this particular credenza video I enjoy how the wallhanging is not only beautiful, but so handy for the words. 😀

I’d love to see a guide to styling a gigantic coffee table. I just re-styled the one in my parents’ house but I’d love to see some other ideas. It’s one of those really, really huge square ones…I find it much harder to style than a typical rectangular coffee table!

LOVE your blog and use it all the time for design tips and tricks! I have a questions I would LOVE for you to help me with! I’m trying to style a gallery wall of our wedding photos over the credenza in our master bedroom. We have a lamp sitting on a stack of books that we want to keep. Do I style/hang the gallery frame collection around the lamp or do I move the lamp/books, style the collection of frames according to the wall, and then put the lamp back (even tho it would be in front of a frame)? I’m stumped!

I appreciate that you produced this wonderful article to help us get more knowledge about this [email protected]

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Hello!

Emily is a stylist, author and T.V. host with a strong commitment to vintage inspired approachable home style for every single person. Perfection is boring; Let’s get weird. learn more

Interior Design Blog by Youxi988

I started this interior design blog in 2010 as a journal of my style and home projects with the belief that design should be approachable, informational and accessible no matter what budget.

As a home style expert who has a strong commitment to peeling back the intimidating layers of the world of home decor, and showing how every person can have a beautiful home that represents their personality, no matter what the budget.

After styling for magazines and catalogues for years, I started my own interior design blog, won HGTV Design Star, and have gone on to host my own hit TV show Secrets from a Stylist, Author the book STYLED, and create the design firm Youxi988 Design.

My motto has always been to write and publish on my blog what I personally want to read about.